Justice News

Three East Flatbush Gang Members Sentenced For Their Roles In Police Impersonation Robberies

Today in Brooklyn federal court, Ringo Delcid, a member of the violent Predator Set street gang operating primarily in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, was sentenced to 130 months of imprisonment for conspiring to commit two Hobbs Act robberies and for the use of a firearm in connection with one of those robberies. Last month, two other members of the gang were also sentenced for their roles in these crimes: Steele was sentenced to 130 months’ imprisonment for his participation in both robberies, and Hall was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment for his participation in one of those robberies. All three defendants were convicted following their previously-entered guilty pleas.

The sentence was announced by Robert L. Capers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Diego G. Rodriguez, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York Field Office; and William J. Bratton, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD).

The convictions resulted from a series of police impersonation robberies committed in 2013. On January 16, 2013, Steele and Delcid committed a home invasion robbery of a narcotics trafficker in Brooklyn. Posing as undercover police officers, the defendants gained access to the residence and proceeded to tie up the trafficker’s girlfriend and twelve-year-old son and ransack the apartment. On July 10, 2013, Steele, Hall, Delcid, and others attempted to rob another narcotics trafficker by carrying out a traffic stop while posing as undercover police officers, complete with a rental car modified to look like a police car. The robbery was thwarted when real NYPD officers arrived at the scene and the defendants fled.

At a hearing on April 14, 2016, U.S. District Judge I. Leo Glasser found that Steele and Hall also conspired to commit a September 27, 2014, armed robbery in which the victim was shot in the leg after he withdrew money from a check-cashing establishment in East Flatbush. The evidence at the hearing established that Steele and Delcid had accumulated an arsenal of weapons in a storage unit in Brooklyn, including three firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and three homemade silencers, all of which was seized by law enforcement.

“The defendants’ crimes were carefully planned, brazenly executed, and demonstrated a complete disregard for the safety for their victims and the community,” stated United States Attorney Capers. “By impersonating police officers, the defendants took advantage of their victims’ trust in law enforcement; their actions also undermined the operation of legitimate law enforcement officers. The sentences imposed appropriately reflect the seriousness of their crimes and demonstrate our commitment to keeping our neighborhoods safe.” Mr. Capers expressed his grateful appreciation to the FBI’s Violent Crimes squad and the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Division for their cooperation and assistance in the investigation.

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Rodriguez stated, “Delcid not only intruded on a residence but he also intruded on the trust the public has with police when he and his coconspirators posed as police officers to commit violent crimes. Serious offenses like this warrant serious sentences and today’s sentencing of Delcid is no exception.”

“These gang members committed gunpoint robberies, violating the public’s trust by impersonating police officers and, in one case, preying upon a woman and child,” said Police Commissioner Bratton. “I would like to thank the members of the NYPD, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s office whose work has led to lengthy prison sentences for the defendants.”

The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alixandra Smith and David Pitluck are in charge of the prosecution.